# The offical "i'm an idiot pipe lighting thread"



## [OT] Loki (May 24, 2006)

I've been trying to light my pipe for a while and I can never get it to really get going....I can get it to light the first time, get some smoke out of it then I can't get it going again....

can anyone help me out here?


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## Kayak_Rat (Nov 28, 2005)

There are a few steps to lighting. First and foremost, let your baccy set out of the tin for a while before smoking it. Second, when you have packed a bowl, run the flame over the top of the bowl to get the baccy on top to dry out. Third, tamp, and then try to light while puffing.

Try that and post your results.


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## [OT] Loki (May 24, 2006)

Kayak_Rat said:


> There are a few steps to lighting. First and foremost, let your baccy set out of the tin for a while before smoking it. Second, when you have packed a bowl, run the flame over the top of the bowl to get the baccy on top to dry out. Third, tamp, and then try to light while puffing.
> 
> Try that and post your results.


This is exactly what I was looking for. I may try and fire up a bowl after house tonight :tu


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## mr.c (Apr 8, 2004)

Yup, like zackh said, let your tobacco dry. Also , try the air pocket method of loading a pipe.


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## Bruce (Dec 31, 1999)

You may also be packing your pipe a bit too firmly. I found that my lighting troubles disappeared when I started to pack much lighter/loosely. When I draw on my pipe there is practically no resistance at all. More air insures better combustion.


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## EvanS (Dec 29, 2006)

hark and listen Master Loki - truths have been spoken here and must be heeded......meaning, "yeah, this is what they taught me and it works" :tu


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## Kayak_Rat (Nov 28, 2005)

Might be mistaken, but I think A.paul calls down fire from the heavens to achieve a perfect light.

Definately a learned art.


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## a.paul (Jan 17, 2007)

Kayak_Rat said:


> Might be mistaken, but I think A.paul calls down fire from the heavens to achieve a perfect light.
> 
> Definately a learned art.


Who told you? IHT and Evan are the only guys who knew.


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## Kayak_Rat (Nov 28, 2005)

a.paul said:


> Who told you? IHT and Evan are the only guys who knew.


Never trust a bald man with penal implants. :tu


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## EvanS (Dec 29, 2006)

a.paul said:


> Who told you? IHT and Evan are the only guys who knew.


I promise, I never breathed a word of this to anyone :tu



Kayak_Rat said:


> Never trust a bald man with penal implants. :tu


Ok Kayak_Rat - who you talking about? Maybe you need to narrow it down a bit. I really hate when people get me confused with IHT. :r

Oh, you said penal implants. I thought you meant _penile_ implants. Alright, so IHT has a prison implanted somehow. THAT's how you tell us apart. p


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## mr.c (Apr 8, 2004)

EvanS said:


> I promise, I never breathed a word of this to anyone :tu
> 
> Ok Kayak_Rat - who you talking about? Maybe you need to narrow it down a bit. I really hate when people get me confused with IHT. :r
> 
> Oh, you said penal implants. I thought you meant _penile_ implants.* Alright, so IHT has a prison implanted somehow. *THAT's how you tell us apart. p


no, he was "implanted" in prison

soap drop !


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## EvanS (Dec 29, 2006)

mr.c said:


> no, he was "implanted" in prison
> 
> soap drop !


*DOH!!* :r

that's hard core mr.c.....hard core, I say


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## a.paul (Jan 17, 2007)

And to think...I passed that up out of deference to our fine leader...

Ah well...what came of it is better than what I had spur of the moment, so I'm happy.:tu


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## EvanS (Dec 29, 2006)

a.paul said:


> And to think...I passed that up out of deference to our fine leader...


maybe next time you'll come correct!!! :tg


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## SUOrangeGuy (Feb 22, 2006)

I was more confused by the plural "implants" than the misspelling. How would one get more than one?


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## a.paul (Jan 17, 2007)

SUOrangeGuy said:


> I was more confused by the plural "implants" than the misspelling. How would one get more than one?


You might not get more than one, I guess, but you could get one multiple times? Like first he went with the "medium"...but didn't like it, so went back and tried the "XTRA LARGE" size. That would mean he'd had "implants", right?

:tu


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## SUOrangeGuy (Feb 22, 2006)

gotcha... but I'm still disturbed.


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## a.paul (Jan 17, 2007)

SUOrangeGuy said:


> gotcha... but I'm still disturbed.


meh...I was born disturbed...you get used to it. :r

Or did you mean...


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## IHT (Dec 27, 2003)

lol.. hey, leavenworth county has about 6 maximum security prisons... they're rather large.

navy joke:
did you hear about the new soap the navy is using?



it's powdered so it takes longer to pick up.


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## [OT] Loki (May 24, 2006)

well i finally got it going, thanks guy. but i had to use the zippo to get it burring  and it keeps going out on me


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## a.paul (Jan 17, 2007)

[OT] Loki said:


> well i finally got it going, thanks guy. but i had to use the zippo to get it burring  and it keeps going out on me


Sounds like your tobacco is still too wet.

Did you leave it out to dry?

I know I've left stuff out to dry for half an hour or so...packed it, lit up, and still it was too wet. Plus I guess I'm a "wet" smoker, that doesn't help.


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## [OT] Loki (May 24, 2006)

the tobacco is very dry. I recieved it when I bought my pipe on feb 7. I just couldn't get into a good rhytm. I had to relight almost constently, but that could be due to the wind. I enjoyed the first bowl but it was too much work while writing a paper. I'll try again later in the week.


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## a.paul (Jan 17, 2007)

[OT] Loki said:


> the tobacco is very dry. I recieved it when I bought my pipe on feb 7. I just couldn't get into a good rhytm. I had to relight almost constently, but that could be due to the wind. I enjoyed the first bowl but it was too much work while writing a paper. I'll try again later in the week.


IMO (and experience) wind helps it burn better/faster, not put it out.


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## [OT] Loki (May 24, 2006)

then maybe I'm just retarded when it comes to pipe smoking haha. I'll try again later.


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## a.paul (Jan 17, 2007)

[OT] Loki said:


> then maybe I'm just retarded when it comes to pipe smoking haha. I'll try again later.


Well hell...I mean...if IHT can do it...ya know?

:r


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## EvanS (Dec 29, 2006)

a.paul said:


> Well hell...I mean...if IHT can do it...ya know?
> 
> :r


self........restraint.......


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## a.paul (Jan 17, 2007)

EvanS said:


> self........restraint.......


Don't rupture anything you might have use for later.


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## EvanS (Dec 29, 2006)

a.paul said:


> Don't rupture anything you might have use for later.


:r I meant YOU


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## a.paul (Jan 17, 2007)

EvanS said:


> :r I meant YOU


You have no idea how much restraint goes into being me...LMAO.

Gee...I have no idea how the "H" and "T" got there...I meant if "I" could do it...

:r :tu


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## EvanS (Dec 29, 2006)

a.paul said:


> You have no idea how much restraint goes into being me...LMAO.
> 
> Gee...I have no idea how the "H" and "T" got there...I meant if "I" could do it...
> 
> :r :tu


and I appreciate every second you put into it


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## a.paul (Jan 17, 2007)

EvanS said:


> and I appreciate every second you put into it


harrumph!  :c

:tg

:r

(it's just been that kind of a day.)


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## ShawnP (Oct 18, 2005)

[OT] Loki said:


> then maybe I'm just retarded when it comes to pipe smoking haha. I'll try again later.


Just keep trying and don't give up. In the end you will be rewarded when you can sit back and enjoy a nice pipe. It takes time to get in the swing of things and guess what?? Pipes go out every now and then so don't beat yourself up to much.

Shawn p


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

[OT] Loki said:


> then maybe I'm just retarded when it comes to pipe smoking haha. I'll try again later.


Dude, smoking a pipe is an art. You must practice, practice and practice. That takes concentration. I've been puffing for three years and my pipe still doesn't just smoke itself. It still takes attention but I've learned to recognize the signs and know what needs to be done whether that means hit the flame to it to keep it from going out well before it has gone out, moving my ash around to get my "ring of fire", or whatever. Try the method where you take a pinch of tabak and stuff it into the bowl of your pipe, but not all the way to the bottom. This leaves an air pocket and makes smoking easier in many ways. Just don't get the tobacco too tight or it won't burn well. Don't give up.

Go to http://pipes.priss.org/

Its not as easy to pack a pipe as people might think. This site is where I learned to pack my pipe the first time and it worked well for me.


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

I sometimes will leave a pipe cleaner in the bottom of the bowl while packing
(not a huge pocket, but some).


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## kheffelf (Jul 31, 2006)

cquon said:


> I sometimes will leave a pipe cleaner in the bottom of the bowl while packing
> (not a huge pocket, but some).


I might have to try that, I am always looking for new ways to pack the pipe.


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## a.paul (Jan 17, 2007)

Occasionally I will poke a cleaner through to create a better pocket if things aren't going well.


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## F. Prefect (Jan 14, 2007)

Kayak_Rat said:


> There are a few steps to lighting. First and foremost, let your baccy set out of the tin for a while before smoking it. Second, when you have packed a bowl, run the flame over the top of the bowl to get the baccy on top to dry out. Third, tamp, and then try to light while puffing.
> 
> Try that and post your results.


Very good advice. I think a lot of smokers, myself included, don't give packing and lighting near the attention it deserves, or in some cases requires. Some blends you can use your Grandpa's scoop and smash technique with excellent results.p While with other blends or even the same blend with a different moisture content, we run into the problem described by the original poster.:hn

F. Prefect


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## [OT] Loki (May 24, 2006)

is it alright to use a bic lighter, or a zippo? What do you guys recomend?


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## a.paul (Jan 17, 2007)

[OT] Loki said:


> is it alright to use a bic lighter, or a zippo? What do you guys recomend?


I use a Corona Old Boy, strike anywhere wood matches, and a cheap disposable side light lighter from Frenchy. I have a Zippo pipe lighter, but I don't really care for it.

I think I'd use the matches before I used a regular bic, but that's me.


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## EvanS (Dec 29, 2006)

[OT] Loki said:


> is it alright to use a bic lighter, or a zippo? What do you guys recomend?


anything with a flame will work. Use what suits you best.
Matches for sure, and according to some the Zippo as well, should be allowed to burn for a sec or two before actual lighting to ensure that the flavor of the initial combustion doesn't contaminate the cigar.

translated - light with a clean flame :ss


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## F. Prefect (Jan 14, 2007)

[OT] Loki said:


> is it alright to use a bic lighter, or a zippo? What do you guys recomend?


As a.paul suggested, a Corona Old Boy is probably the first choice of most experience pipe smokers. A wooden match would be my 2nd choice. A Zippo uses liquid fuel that can be easily be tasted during lighting, so I would without a doubt recommend a lighter that uses butane. There are plenty of makes and models put out by Davidoff, Dunhill and others that will cost you a couple of hundred bucks, but the Old Boy or the Pipemaster(that doesn't require a flint) which you can sometimes find on sale for between 60.00 and 75.00 would be my first choice.:tu

F. Prefect


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## kheffelf (Jul 31, 2006)

I use a zippo pipe lighter and can't taste it, but I have heard that people who use ronson fluid can, so if you buy the newer zippo stuff you should be fine, but besides having a zippo, I also own an imco which works fantastic for 11 bucks.
http://www.iwanries.com/Imco_P6867C528.cfm


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

I use a Bic. Heck I have to have about six lighters around at any one period of time so I can manage to find one each time I need it. I sure couldn't afford to have an expensive lighter, or lighters. But anyway, the important thing is not to get your tabak too hot as you're lighting it. I hold the lighter level over the top of the bowl and draw until the flame just touches the tobacco, then I move the lighter around to let the flame dance across it all. This mildly dries it and ignites it as well.


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## ShawnP (Oct 18, 2005)

Everyone has a choice when it comes to lighters but rule of thumb don't use a torch, and make sure you use something that you can control without scorching the top of the bowl 


If you are skilled with a bic then use it  simple as that my friend.


I must say though, pipe lighters with a bent flame are easier to control and do work wonderfully.


You don't need to spend an arm and a leg for a lighter. Most of us can't (me included) so don't feel you have to.


Shawn p


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## [OT] Loki (May 24, 2006)

should you tamp while smoking or no?


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## Mad Hatter (Apr 8, 2007)

[OT] Loki said:


> should you tamp while smoking or no?


Yes, you should tamp any time it needs to be tamped, especially while smoking. 
Check out the pipe smoking tips at vegassmokes.com. It'll answer a lot of your questions and make smoking much easier for you


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## Bruce (Dec 31, 1999)

Try not to over tamp. This has a tendency to pack the tobacco a little too much, thus decreasing air. If you tamp and noticed a firmer draw, use a pipe cleaner as mentioned previously to open up the air pocket at the bottom of the bowl. You will notice an immediate improvement.

As I mentioned before, don't over pack or pack too tightly. The draw should be almost effortlessly. Try the "Air Pocket" technique as this is very simple and works very well. Just don't use this technique with a new pipe.


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## [OT] Loki (May 24, 2006)

Mad Hatter said:


> Yes, you should tamp any time it needs to be tamped, especially while smoking.
> Check out the pipe smoking tips at vegassmokes.com. It'll answer a lot of your questions and make smoking much easier for you


great site, thanks


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